Harvey Keitel's 'Milarepa' Opens 24th Boston Film Fest
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- "Milarepa" will open the 24th Boston International Film Festival (April 9–14), with Abraham, Isabelle Allen and Diana Dell'Erba expected on the red carpet at Boston's Simons IMAX Theatre for the film's international bow.
- Louis Nero's English-language film was shot in Sardinia amid ancient megalithic stone constructions and is set in a near-future post-apocalyptic world, inspired by the 11th-century yogi, poet, and Buddhist saint Milarepa — the same figure behind Herman Hesse's novel "Siddartha."
- Harvey Keitel plays guru Marpa, spiritual guide to 12-year-old Mila (Allen of "Les Misérables"), a girl who disguises herself as a boy to learn magical arts and avenge her father's death at the hands of her aunt.
- Supporting cast includes F. Murray Abraham, Angela Molina, Franco Nero (no relation to the director), Diana Dell'Erba (Netflix's "The Leopard"), Iazua Larios ("Sundown") and Japan-based Hal Yamanouchi ("The Wolverine").
- "Milarepa" is a co-production between Nero's L'Altrofilm, British producer Jake Seal's Black Hanger Studio and Louisiana-based Orwo Studio USA; L'Altrofilm and PFA Films released it in Italy in June, with Orwo Distribution now selling internationally and handling release in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Latin America, Australia and Japan.
Why it matters: The opening slot at the 24th Boston International Film Festival gives "Milarepa" its first international showcase after a June Italian release, and Orwo Distribution's eight-territory rollout — spanning the U.K., Germany, Spain, Latin America, Australia and Japan — turns the Boston bow into a springboard for a multi-market launch.
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